Somethingclever's operation 65 Mustang DD - built and bought

[Martin0660]

For alot of yrs I had planned on a 2.3T Ferd but that lost it's luster for me.

Maybe if Bob and I were neighbors that would still get the nod.

from what I had seen from a couple of early cars swapped to 2.3, they was also swapped to IFS to get the towers out too. Not sure it was 100% needed, but that’s how they was done.

even if we was close, I would talk you out of it, lol.

[somethingclever]

Cowl replacement on these cars is a big deal and common.

This one seemed to be super solid and still had paint on it.

[somethingclever]

The floors needed some small patches each side once they were hit with a wire cup brush to clean them up for paint.

They rusted from wet carpet - aka inside out.

Since the cowl was good the front windshield must have been leaking for some time.

Not surprising for sitting in California sun for the first half of it's life.

All metal was cut out, and new patch pieces welded in.

Concours is not needed for this DD.

[Dan B.]

A couple license plates woulda covered that.

[somethingclever]

A couple license plates woulda covered that.

I said concours was not needed.

Ghetto is never acceptable. LOL

[somethingclever]

from what I had seen from a couple of early cars swapped to 2.3, they was also swapped to IFS to get the towers out too. Not sure it was 100% needed, but that’s how they was done.

even if we was close, I would talk you out of it, lol.

Seems like a custom header would be easier and cheaper....but I have read that it is super tight with the OEM manfold and stock turbo. (maybe even some massaging necessary to towers.)

[Dan B.]

Ghetto is never acceptable. LOL

Hey....I resemble that remark!



Ron is bringing his F150 up here in the next few weeks for rocker panel repairs. I've been stealing license plates for weeks!!

[somethingclever]

Hey....I resemble that remark!



Ron is bringing his F150 up here in the next few weeks for rocker panel repairs. I've been stealing license plates for weeks!!

LOL!

Classic.

[somethingclever]

Since the car was in bare metal my buddy shot primer after a through wipe/down and cleaning of everything.

I am no body man but from the sounds of it, cleanliness for a quality paint job is as critical as it is for engine work.

Starting to look like something now.

[somethingclever]

This was cool - since there are so many 1st gen mustangs out there that had the factory radio removed and sheetmetal hacked up to fit an 8-track or cassette player, that the aftermarket has reproduced a nice fitting replacement dash piece. Since my plan was for a retrosound unit that looks mostly factory, he cut out the dash and welded in this new piece. I will say that the dash looks perfect and you would never know this was done.

[PaxtonShelby]

Hey....I resemble that remark!



Ron is bringing his F150 up here in the next few weeks for rocker panel repairs. I've been stealing license plates for weeks!!

Hell yeah buddy! License plates don’t rust!

[Ares]

What the hell is this nearly rust free crap....

On a side note Black Cherry for the color

Reminds me of my brothers first car. A '67 Mustang with straight six/auto I found in Pennysaver back in '96 for him for a nice $600. Neighbor gave him a 302 and we searched the bone yards for a v8 bell housing for the C4. Then he got us to take him to NJ to buy a wrecked '68(head on collision) for the V8 suspension and rear axle.

[yeahloh95]

very cool project cant wait for more updates its looking good so far

[somethingclever]

With the top side of the body in a good hold spot, he moved to the underside.

At some point the car had an undercoating applied (seemed like factory?) which was still sticking really well on the underside....he wanted to remove it for some fresh POR15 so I didn't argue.


Crazy clean for a rust belt guy.....


Tough to gauge the size of the undercoating/grime pile until you compare it to the jackstand 2' away from it.

[somethingclever]

The battery leaked at some point or over many years and ate through the battery tray and the 1 apron.

Probably could have gotten away with a patch piece but instead he welded in a new piece.

Additionally you can see he stitch welded the shock towers and front suspension (engine bay side and suspension side) to provide some additional rigidity to the car.

This is in case PaxtonShelby ever talks me into sticky tires and a track day.

[somethingclever]

He ended up shooting POR15 on the completed underside, wheel wells, and engine bay.

It looks pretty shiny in the pictures but it is semi-gloss or chassis black.

No good pictures of the painted underneath, but the paint laid about as nice on the bottom as it did on the top.

[Terminated]

Great thread to follow along to, keep posting the pics!

[somethingclever]

Also forgot to mention you can see in the picture in post 35 that the car had 67 and later mustang torque boxes added to it.

64.5-66 cars did not have torque boxes from the factory.

There is a diagonal piece that was forgot and later welded in place on each side and POR15'd again on the welds.

[Dan B.]

He may talk you into a track day.......but his car will still be on jackstands.

[Ares]

Wow that is clean underneath. Cleaner than my 2004